# Water polo at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's tournament

The 1998 Men's World Water Polo Championship was the eighth edition of the men's water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships, organised by the world governing body in aquatics, the FINA. The tournament was held from 7 to 18 January 1998 in the Challenge Stadium, and was incorporated into the 1998 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, Western Australia.

## Participating teams

| Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania |
| South Africa | Brazil Canada United States | Kazakhstan Iran | Croatia Greece Hungary Italy Russia Slovakia Spain Yugoslavia | Australia New Zealand |

## Preliminary round
### Group A

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Russia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 12 | +26 |
| 2. | Croatia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 13 | +29 |
| 3. | Kazakhstan | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 38 | –11 |
| 4. | New Zealand | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 53 | –44 |
* January 9, 1998
| Kazakhstan | 15 – 6 | New Zealand |
| Russia | 6 – 4 | Croatia |
* January 10, 1998
| Russia | 13 – 8 | Kazakhstan |
| Croatia | 19 – 3 | New Zealand |
* January 11, 1998
| Russia | 19 – 0 | New Zealand |
| Croatia | 19 – 4 | Kazakhstan |

### Group B

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 14 | +20 |
| 2. | Yugoslavia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 21 | +13 |
| 3. | Italy | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 23 | +9 |
| 4. | Iran | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 49 | –42 |
* January 9, 1998
| Italy | 15 – 1 | Iran |
| Hungary | 7 – 5 | Yugoslavia |
* January 10, 1998
| Hungary | 11 – 7 | Italy |
| Yugoslavia | 18 – 4 | Iran |
* January 11, 1998
| Hungary | 16 – 2 | Iran |
| Yugoslavia | 11 – 10 | Italy |

### Group C

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Spain | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 12 | +17 |
| 2. | Greece | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 18 | +8 |
| 3. | Brazil | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 22 | –6 |
| 4. | South Africa | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 32 | –19 |
* January 9, 1998
| Greece | 9 – 5 | Brazil |
| Spain | 13 – 3 | South Africa |
* January 10, 1998
| Spain | 7 – 6 | Greece |
| Brazil | 8 – 4 | South Africa |
* January 11, 1998
| Spain | 9 – 3 | Brazil |
| Greece | 11 – 6 | South Africa |

### Group D

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Australia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 19 | +7 |
| 2. | United States | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 13 | +11 |
| 3. | Slovakia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 20 | +2 |
| 4. | Canada | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 29 | –20 |
* January 9, 1998
| Slovakia | 9 – 3 | Canada |
| Australia | 7 – 6 | United States |
* January 10, 1998
| United States | 8 – 5 | Slovakia |
| Australia | 10 – 5 | Canada |
* January 11, 1998
| United States | 10 – 1 | Canada |
| Australia | 9 – 8 | Slovakia |

## Second round
### Group E

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 35 | +20 |
| 2. | Yugoslavia | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 35 | +12 |
| 3. | Russia | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 44 | 40 | +4 |
| 4. | Italy | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 40 | +7 |
| 5. | Croatia | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 34 | +12 |
| 6. | Kazakhstan | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 78 | –55 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* January 13, 1998
| Italy | 8 – 6 | Russia |
| Hungary | 17 – 3 | Kazakhstan |
| Croatia | 6 – 6 | Yugoslavia |
* January 14, 1998
| Hungary | 9 – 8 | Croatia |
| Italy | 13 – 3 | Kazakhstan |
| Yugoslavia | 9 – 7 | Russia |
* January 15, 1998
| Yugoslavia | 16 – 5 | Kazakhstan |
| Croatia | 9 – 9 | Italy |
| Russia | 12 – 11 | Hungary |

### Group F

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Spain | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 25 | +16 |
| 2. | Australia | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 24 | +10 |
| 3. | United States | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 25 | +8 |
| 4. | Greece | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 30 | 0 |
| 5. | Slovakia | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 41 | 49 | –8 |
| 6. | Brazil | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 49 | –26 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* January 13, 1998
| Spain | 15 – 8 | Slovakia |
| Greece | 3 – 2 | United States |
| Australia | 9 – 2 | Brazil |
* January 14, 1998
| Slovakia | 9 – 8 | Brazil |
| Spain | 5 – 4 | United States |
| Australia | 5 – 3 | Greece |
* January 15, 1998
| United States | 15 – 5 | Brazil |
| Slovakia | 11 – 9 | Greece |
* January 16, 1998
| Spain | 5 – 4 | Australia |

### Group G

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Canada | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 18 | +11 |
| 2. | South Africa | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 17 | +3 |
| 3. | Iran | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 21 | –6 |
| 4. | New Zealand | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 20 | –8 |
* January 13, 1998
| South Africa | 6 – 3 | Iran |
| Canada | 7 – 5 | New Zealand |
* January 14, 1998
| Iran | 6 – 5 | New Zealand |
| Canada | 12 – 7 | South Africa |
* January 15, 1998
| Canada | 10 – 6 | Iran |
| South Africa | 7 – 2 | New Zealand |

## Final round
### 9th-12th place

| 9th - 12th place | 9th - 12th place | 9th place | 9th place |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth |
| Slovakia | 8 |
| Slovakia | 8 | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| Kazakhstan | 7 | Croatia | 12 |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth | | Croatia | 12 |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth | Slovakia | 3 |
| Croatia | 17 | Slovakia | 3 |
| Brazil | 6 | | |
| Brazil | 6 | 11th place | 11th place |
| | | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| | | Kazakhstan | 7 |
| | | Brazil | 6 |
* January 17, 1998
| Slovakia | 8 – 7 | Kazakhstan |
| Croatia | 17 – 6 | Brazil |
* January 18, 1998 — 9th place
| Croatia | 12 – 3 | Slovakia |
* January 18, 1998 — 11th place
| Kazakhstan | 7 – 6 | Brazil |

### 5th-8th place

| 5th - 8th place | 5th - 8th place | 5th place | 5th place |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth |
| Italy | 10 |
| Italy | 10 | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| United States | 8 | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| United States | 8 | Italy | 14 |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth | | Italy | 14 |
| 1998-01-17 – Perth | 1998-01-17 – Perth | Russia | 3 |
| Russia | 12 | Russia | 3 |
| Greece | 8 | | |
| Greece | 8 | 7th place | 7th place |
| | | 1998-01-18 – Perth | 1998-01-18 – Perth |
| | | United States | 8 |
| | | Greece | 4 |
* January 17, 1998
| Italy | 10 – 8 (aet) | United States |
| Russia | 12 – 8 | Greece |
* January 18, 1998 — 5th place
| Italy | 14 – 3 | Russia |
* January 18, 1998 — 7th place
| United States | 8 – 4 | Greece |

### 1st-4th place

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| January 18, 1998 – Perth | January 18, 1998 – Perth |
| Spain | 5 |
| Spain | 5 | January 19, 1998 – Perth | January 19, 1998 – Perth |
| Yugoslavia | 3 | January 19, 1998 – Perth | January 19, 1998 – Perth |
| Yugoslavia | 3 | Spain | 6 |
| January 18, 1998 – Perth | January 18, 1998 – Perth | | Spain | 6 |
| January 18, 1998 – Perth | January 18, 1998 – Perth | Hungary | 4 |
| Hungary | 10 | Hungary | 4 |
| Australia | 5 | | |
| Australia | 5 | Third place | Third place |
| | | January 19, 1998 – Perth | January 19, 1998 – Perth |
| | | Yugoslavia | 9 |
| | | Australia | 5 |

### Semi finals

* 16 January 1998
| Spain | 5 – 3 | Yugoslavia |
| Hungary | 10 – 5 | Australia |

### Finals

* 18 January 1998 – Bronze Medal Match
| Yugoslavia | 9 – 5 | Australia |
* 18 January 1998 – Gold Medal Match
| Spain | 6 – 4 | Hungary |

## Final ranking

| RANK | TEAM |
| | Spain |
| | Hungary |
| | Yugoslavia |
| 4. | Australia |
| 5. | Italy |
| 6. | Russia |
| 7. | United States |
| 8. | Greece |
| 9. | Croatia |
| 10. | Slovakia |
| 11. | Kazakhstan |
| 12. | Brazil |
| 13. | Canada |
| 14. | South Africa |
| 15. | Iran |
| 16. | New Zealand |
* 1998 FINA Men's World champions
* Spain First title
* Team roster
* Daniel Ballart, Manuel Estiarte, Pedro García, Salvador Gómez, Miguel González, Gustavo Marcos, Rubén Michavila, Iván Moro, Sergi Pedrerol, Iván Pérez, Jesús Rollán, Jordi Sans, Carlos Sanz Head coach: Juan Jané

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| SpainSergi Pedrerol Pedro García Carlos Sanz Miguel González Daniel Ballart Salvador Gómez Iván Moro Manuel Estiarte (c) Gustavo Marcos Iván Pérez Jesús Rollán Jordi Sans Rubén Michavila Head coach: Juan Jané | Hungary Zoltán Kovacs Zoltán Kósz Tibor Benedek Gergely Kiss Frank Toth Rajmund Fodor Zsolt Varga Barnabás Steinmetz Balázs Vincze Tamás Molnár Tamás Kásás Attila Vári Tamás Marcz Head coach: Dénes Kemény | Yugoslavia Aleksandar Ćirić Danilo Ikodinović Dragan Jovanović Nikola Kuljača Aleksandar Nikolić Dušan Popović Dejan Savić Aleksandar Šapić Petar Trbojević Veljko Uskoković Željko Vičević Vladimir Vujasinović Nenad Vukanić Head coach: Nikola Stamenić |